Empowering Migrant Workers through Work-Related Second Language Learning for Labour Market Integration and Participation
Speakers: Dott. Matilde Grünhage-Monetti (European centre for Modern languages, Council of Europe) & Christophe Portefin (Accentonic Language for Work, France)
Abstract
Migrants need more than functional L2 skills for long-term integration and participation in vital contexts such as sustainable work. Most migrants are adults of working age. Work is a top priority for them and the host country. Not all are fluent in the language(s) of the immigration country (L2). L2 support usually stops when they find work. Statistics show that most migrants end up in the “low-paid, low-skilled, low-language trap”: a loss for individuals, the immigration country’s economy and society. Despite paying taxes and contributing to the educational system, they hardly profit from it.
In numerous countries there is research and practice on work-related L2 at political, strategic and didactic-methodological level. The authors of the proposal coordinate the Language for Work Network (LfW) of the European Centre for Modern Languages, Council of Europe. LfW has been working on the issue for years, collecting international resources in the original language, disseminating its insights through workshops, conferences and articles.
LfW is committed to empowering migrant workers through L2 development. It considers work-related L2 skills more than purely functional skills to find suitable employment and perform professionally. LfW aims at developing work-related L2 skills by migrants to participate positively in (work) life, voicing own interests and opinions and establishing relationships. It is a democratic, social and economic issue as well as a strategic and didactic-methodological one.
Drawing on the LfW experience, the presenters explore how to empower and give migrants a voice in L2, and how to give guidance to key stakeholders in work and adult education. It highlights the issue from different, interdependent perspectives: political, strategical as well as didactic-methodological. The talk addresses colleagues interested in working with educational actors such as policymakers, researchers, providers, teachers and / or labour market and workplace stakeholders like employers and trade unions. It shares resources documented on the LfW website in the original languages.
Bios
Matilde Grünhage-Monetti, former researcher at Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung for over 25 years, works now as freelance researcher and trainer in the fields of work-related language development for immigrant workers, intercultural and diversity learning, and food literacy. She has coordinated numerous national and international projects and has published on these issues. At present she coordinates the Language for Work Network and its website, created by two projects of the European Centre of Modern Language of Council of Europe. (https://languageforwork.ecml.at)
Christophe Portefin runs a training organization specializing in key skills in professional situations. After studying the didactics of languages and cultures, his work over the last 20 years has involved setting up language-for-work training courses in the cleaning, care, automotive, etc. He is a member of the Language-For-Work project team at the ECML, and participates in Erasmus + projects on this subject. He is also a member of LESLLA and Transitlingua. (https://languageforwork.ecml.at/fr/Home – https://www.leslla.org/ – https://www.accentonic.fr/ – https://www.transitlingua.org/)